Massage Gone Wrong

I had a massage yesterday at a nearby spa a friend recommended. I felt fine during the massage but afterward the guy says I should see a chiropractor because my shoulders and neck have a lot of tension. I shrugged this off and went on my way. Throughout the day I started feeling achier in my upper back and neck. Overnight I slept horribly and then woke up at 4 am to get an ice pack. After I applied the ice for awhile I tried heat. I felt better only for a short time. I have been trying to stretch it out while I sit at my desk but I am still in misery. I wonder if the "therapist" had no clue what he was doing or if he just brought out a problem that was preexisting? I felt fine in my shoulders and back when I went in. I really just wanted a relaxing massage. Either way I regret the decision now.

Sunday Long Run

Another weekend and another long run. This weekend was harder than last week. During the first couple of miles I felt like the heat was just sitting on my shoulders and I couldn't get enough air in my lungs. I thought I would be spent after 4 miles and at any minute the group was going to swallow me up. Despite this drowning feeling I survived and kept my pace steady with no one swooshing past. I am driving onward to my goal and the pace is going to have to get faster. For now 7:45 average will do and I can't imagine doing better until the end of the summer. Today I will speed up my treadmill workout which is starting to show results. I really enjoy seeing how fast I can go and getting in a few extra miles but not having to run more than 25 minutes. People keep asking what my next event will be. I am thinking of running Maribelle's 5K which is close to home and then perhaps a 5K or 10K in September. The main focus remains Houston marathon.

The Finances of Running

I guess since I discussed the politics of running I could also talk about the finances part. This of course is my least favorite part. So here goes. I could spend oodles of our hard earned cash on running stuff. I love the clothes thus Luke's Locker is a dangerous place for me so I just stay away. The race fees can also add up, if I could I would race every weekend just for a fun speed session. That would cost at least $80 right there. Additionally if I race my daughter wants to go, which I think is a wonderful thing for her being as only 32% of girls her age are considered physically fit (but that's another topic). So anyway $160 if we raced regularly. Gas of course is crazy and I live in Clear Lake so 3o-45 min one way trip is the norm if I race in town over the weekend. Coaching is something I have not invested in this season because it is just too much to justify trip cost and program cost. I also have had good results when I train on the treadmill even if I only run short miles so I would fall into the category of not being very "coachable". I do my long runs with BCRR and my membership fee is $20 for the year which is excellent. I only commute to run one day of the week and the rest I run with my friend Jackie in Clear Lake or head to the Y and run before I get the kids at the Y day camp. This season I am following Hal Higdon's advanced schedule which Jackie got free on the website. This schedule calls for several short marathon pace runs during the week, a medium length marathon pace run on Saturday, and a long run on Sunday. This works perfectly for how I have been training and I think it will bring better results for me this season. Now that I have a few years of running behind me this type of self training is possible because I know what works best for me. I have gone from newbie to Boston qualifier to beyond. I realize my situation is different and everyone has to find what works for them.

Good Long Run

Today's long run went better than expected. I haven't run to music for awhile so today I brought along my ipod and just ran in the zone. I managed to keep my pace in the 7:40s which I think is pretty good for this time of year. I would like to be closer to 7:30 but I will take what I can get through the rest of the summer. Lately I have been trying to just complete the miles and I think now my legs and lungs are getting used to the distance so I can now speed up. The rest of the day was busy and now I am ready for some dinner and relaxation. I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Easy Run at the Gym

I headed to the YMCA today for an easy treadmill run. I didn't wake up in time to make it to my Kroger run so I had to get in on the treadmill. This has been a busy week so I am just trying to run whenever I can shuffle it in to my schedule. I got in to Houston so I am happy this week. Crazy that it sold out so fast, wonder if they will open another wave...

Another Hot One

I was happy to survive my 11 miler today. I keep thinking this will get easier the more I keep it up and push through yet it is still misery for me at the end. Miles 8 through 11 are running on fumes and hoping too make it back to the zero mark not too long after the faster pack has finished. Each week I keep up a little longer but the last stretch might as well be heartbreak hill because that's what it feels like. I keep wondering how I will ever run a decent marathon when I am struggling through 11 miles. There is always the possibility of switching to the half which sounds really good after days like this. I guess it is still early so I will try to quiet my negative thoughts for now. I still have hopes in the back of my mind to qualify for New York (no lottery) and run in '09 but only time and hard training will tell. I hope everyone had a great 4th, good races, fireworks or whatever makes you happy.

The Politics of Running

I guess it is that time again. I am now down to maybe 1.5 readers so I will try to at least retain that. The upside to this is I can rant about something I have noticed in recent years that really gets me. I enjoy running with groups and I get so much motivation and energy from the wonderful people I meet running. The thing about groups is they always seem to want to get political and snippy with each other and get in the way of why we are there in the first place which is to run and enjoy each others company. I am with different groups all day for work and all I hear is gossip, complaints, in fighting, etc. I usually escape this through a good run but more and more the politics of running seems to get in the way. Throughout my running years I have run with several different groups and gotten some valuable friendships from each. I have become a better runner because of these groups. Two years ago I left the first group I joined because I was in search of more challenge and running politics had started to rear it's not so pretty head. I was tired of the in fighting and I was not enjoying running like I used to. I retreated to the treadmill and solo runs for awhile and eventually found other groups. The group I am with now seems to be mostly free of politics (as much as a group can be) maybe because I stay on the fringes and just stick to one weekly long run but it seems to work. They also reach out and have events with other running groups and promote an attitude of community. They recognize clubs and programs are there to promote running and a healthy lifestyle not behaving like my kids on the playground. I can accept it from kids but not adults in the running community that should be setting a positive example. So maybe it is time to let go of politics and just shut up and run.